Seeder



Oct. 29, 1929. A SHlREMAN 1,733,562 v SEEDER Filed NOV. 19. 1927 Patented Oct. 29, 1929 ANDREW SHIREMAN., or "irai-vraiesvinmi,y iNnrANA; ,Erna yJ. sHrnnMAN ,Antivirusrna'rnrx onsnrn ANDREW SHIREMAN, nnonnsnn y SEEDER Applcationf'Ied Novemberl, 1927. Serial No; 234,327; i 'y The object of my inventionis to produce a'. hand operated broad-cast lseederv by meansy of'whi'ch seeding of ground with small seeds may be accurately and uniformly accom-- plished.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. v Fig; 1, isv a sidev elevationlof the apparatus altv rest',l Fie'.A 2j, a1 fragmentary horizontal section just above the lower end of the seed hopper, showing the throwing element in fragmentary plan7 Fig. 3, affragmentary vertical section of the kparts shownin Fig. 2, Fig. 4, a planof a desirable. form of seed receiving platform-T.Fi`g.-,5,` a fragmentary perspective of a portionA of the traction wheel and Fig.k 6, a'plan' of a nest of gaugeeyes;

`In the drawings 10 indicates the traction wheel upon. the axle ofk which is supported the forward ends of a' main frame compris-y ing a pair ofxsidey bars 11 the rear end of whichvform. barrow :handles to `be grasped by the operator. Secured to the main frame, in such position as to be substantially horizontal when the frame 11 is held bythe operward endr byr a strut 1.3.r

ator is a; central bar 12V supported at itsrforn which is journalledv the lower end of astem 1:5 threaded at 16 to receive a driving pulley 17.y Resting upon'pully 17 is a throwing arm 18 whichy is trough shaped with a centr-al portion 19 and oppositely extending trough arms 20. The throwing arm 18 is held in rplace by aseedreceiving platform 21 threaded upon threads lfand clampingy the throwing arm upon pulley 17., said platform being arranged centrally 'of the portion19 of the throwing; arm. y The upper' end of stem 15 is twistedto form a seedstirrin-g element ,25.

Supported centrally abovethe seedreceiving platform 21/is the lowerytubular endl 26 of the seed hopper 27`Which is supportedy upon bar12 by relatively small-diameter standards-28 the lower ends of which are vertical and pass through bar 12.` These lower ends arek threaded to, receiveyclamping nuts 29 which serveffto hold theV hopper infproper position and permit slight vertical adjustment thereof yso that thelower end of the ,yondthe platform'.

tubular portionv 26 may be accurately justed relative .to the upper surface of they platform r21. f f f The above described adjustmentoff ythegauge eye relative to the upper surface of thev platform is provided in orderthat, nory mat'- ter what size of seed istofbe sown, the gauge f eye may be properlyvertically positioned` above the platform according to the size of the seed 'wl'ncnls to be .shown,the arrangement being such that while there may be,` al

free flow of seed from the eyeonto theplatform when the platform is being rotated: and

the seed progressively thrown therefromyet, 'i

nevertheless,- wlienthe platform is stationary the pile yof seed issued'from thegaugeeye:

and resting upon the platform willhave a f base of smaller diameter `than the. platform sof that no surplus of grain can accumulate be- 1. The lower end of provided with a', narrow inturned flange' 30 upon which may rest any one of alsex-iesn ofk gauge eyes Scthe central openings ,36 of which are of different diameters=-such as to accurately determine-the amount of seed; which may flow therethrough ina given time: depending upon the platform 21. f f y f The traction rwheel is provided atjone side with a'circumferential series 'of angularly spaced hooks 4.0 adapted to receive, andforma driving pulleyfor, a driving cord 41 the ends of rwhich may be knotted as indicatedat 42.,y Cord llis passed over apair of idlers 43 supported on bar 12, and aroundpulley 17.

By this'arrangement rI'liave found it-[possible to use an ordinary small braided y,cotton oord as abelt. Because of the angular rspacing of the hooks the knot does not interfere with proper driving. operationof thecord' speed of rotation of ve f the/tubular portion 26 is`r f and there can be no gathering of mudin the f hooks 40, interfering with proper operation of thebelt," as would be the case withA a con.- tinuous-'groove pulley.r A scraper 45 is supported on the main frame in yposition "to scrape away mud which will at times gather yon the rimof vwheel 10.y '7

woy

the hopper when the throwing wheel is stationary and, in order to insure against a free running of the seed from the hopper when the structure is at rest as indicated Vin Fig. 1, I have found it desirable to groove the upper face of platform 2l preferably by a shallow multi-turned volute groove 50, the pitch of which is comparatively slight and preferably rounded, in cross section, as shown.

In operation a gauge eye 35V having an opening 36 of the proper size will be selected for the particular seed which is to be bread- ,c'asted and theamount ofA that seed which is Y to be distributed over a given area. I have found by many experiments that, in order to. insure a` uniformbroadcasting of the seed throughout 360 degrees of throw, it is essential that the, seed` be delivered to the throwing element in an annular stream concentric with the throwing wheel because otherwiseVV thek amount ofseed thrownin certain lportions of the arc will bel greater than other portions. I have also foundthat itis not practicably possible, by means Vof. adjustable shutters, to accurately predetermine the` amount of seed whichfwill be thrown for a given travel over .the ground. lt is for Vthis reason that,rin my apparatus, the'flow of seed from the/hopper to thethrowing element is determined.y by a desired one of a series of gauge eyes as shown and that by .such means it is possible, in the use of my apparatus, for an operator, knowing the amount of seed which hedesires to distribute over a specified acre-- age, toeasily select that one of the gauge eyes which will so control the flow of seed to the .v throwing element that the entire quantity of seed will be equally distributedl o verthe entire acreage, the seediiowvalue 'of the gauge eyes having been previously determined by the'manufacturer. Y Y Y It will be noted that the gaugeeyes may be readily extracted upwardly from the tubular lportion26 of hopper 27 and that, because the Vlower end of the seed hopper should be accurately spaced from the throwing table, it is not practicable to'introduceA any one of a seriesr of gauge eyesexceptfrom above.

nThe position ofthe lowerend of the'hopper relative to the throwing wheel may be accurately determined and adjustedY by means of the nuts 29'. A f It ymightbe thought, at first glance, that, because of the volute groove 50, there would be a substantial lopsided delivery of seed to the throwing element at the end of the volute groove but this is not the case. @bservation of theapparat-us in use demonstrates the fact rthat the majorl portion of the seed is thrown olf from the top of the platform in a horizontalV spray which is substantially uniform throughout the 360 degrees and that concen- 'tric-gr'ooves, oreven a flatl upper surface of -65 the' table will give substantially the same results, so far as seed distributionis concerned. l have found, however, that thel grooved upper surface of the platform Vwill prevent any substantial quantity of seed flowing from the hopper when the apparatus is in the at rest position shown in Fig, 1 where, if itwereV not Vfor the grooved surface there would be a tendency for very small seeds to flow almost continuously from the hopper in tothe throwingelementjwhen r`the parts are at 'rest,be' cause of the Vunavoidable inclination of the platform. l/Vhere a volute groove, as shown in Fig. e, is used, a reverse rotation of the throwing element will result in a slight de crease of seed throwing but it is not possible to notice anysubstantial variation in the evenness'with which the seed is broadca'sted owing to the factthata very large percentage of theV total seed is thrown .nearly radially evenly from the platform across the. top of the groove. g Y I Suitable supporting legs 60 serve to sustain the `mainframe in position at restwithout interfering with travel of the apparatus over the ground.v y

The element 25 projectsupwardly into the hopper and serves as a stirrer to prevent any foreign substance, Ysuch as a' small twig or piece of a leaf, from clogging thegaugeeye and thus insures uniformity yof How of seed when the apparatus is in motion.

I- have found in usev that the quantity of seed broadcasted over a given area is independent of the speed of movement ofwheellO across that area and that consequently the number of seeds per square yard will be independent of the speed of travel f of the operator. Y

Because of the use of the angularly separated hooks 40 and the driving cord 4l, I have found itvery easy` to maintain a proper driving tension inthecord, the bends in the cord due to the hooks serving Ato increase the frictional' contact between'wheel l0 andthe cord, and that whenever fthe cord gets too loose, it may be readily'tightenedby cutting and re-lnotting without interferingV with the proper operation ofthe apparatus. i

l claim asmy invention?Y v l @l l. Abroadcasting seeder comprising a ro-A tatable throwing elementihaving a radially projecting trough, Va seed, receivingk platform at the axis of said throwing element androspaced from the platform that seed'issuing from the gage eye onto the platform may not flow beyond the platform Vwhen the platform is at rest, and a stirringelement carried by imanes' the throwing element 'and projecting upwardly through the gauge eye into the lower regions of the hopper.

2. A broadcasting seeder comprising arotatable throwing element having a radially projecting trough, a seed receiving platform at the airis of said throwingr element and ro-` tatable therewith, a seed hopper having its lower end vertically spacedfrom but closely adjacent the platform, a gauge eye of substantially smaller diameter than the platform arranged at the lower end of the hopper arek ially of the throwingelement and upwardly removable from kthe hopper and so spaced from the platform that seed issuing from the 'n gage eye onto the platform may not flow beyond the platformwhen the platform is at rest, and a stirring element carried yby the throwing element kand projected upwardly through the gauge eye into the lower regions ofthe hopper. f .y

8. A broadcasting seeder comprising a rotatable throwing element havingaa radially projecting trough, a seed receiving platform at the axis of said throwing element and rotatable therewith, a seedhopper having its lower end vertically spaced from but closely adjacent the platform and provided with an inturned flange, a thingauge eye of substantially smaller diameter than the platform arranged at the lower end of the hopper axially ofthe throwing element upon said flange, and a stirringr element carried by the throwing element and projected upwardly through the gauge eye into the lower regionsy of the hoper. p 4. A broadcastingy seeder comprising a rotatable throwing element having a radially projecting trough, a seed receiving platform at the axis of said throwing element and rotatable therewith, ar seedhopper having its lower end vertically spaced from but closely adjacent the platform and provided with an inturned flange, a ythin gauge eye of substantially smaller' diameterthan the platform arranged at the lower end of the hopper aX- ially of the throwing element upon said flange and upwardly removable from the hopper.

5. A broadcastingseeder comprising a rotatable throwing element having a radially projecting trough, a seed receiving platform at the axis of said throwing element and rotatable therewith, a seed hopper having its lower end vertically spaced from ybut closely adjacent the platform, and a thin gauge eye of substantially smaller diameter than the platform arranged at the lower end of the hopper axially of the throwing element.

6. In a broadcasting seeder the combination of a rotatable throwing element having a radially projected throwing arm, a seed receiving platform arranged at the axis of the throwing element and having a grooved upf per face and rotatable with the throwing element, a seed hopper having its lower end vertically spaced from but closely adjacenty the platform, and means for supporting a thin gauge eye of predetermined size at the lower end of the hopper coaXially with thethrowing element, said gage eye being of substantially less diameter than the platform.

y7. In a broadcasting seeder the combina-` tion of a rotatablethrowing'elementhaving a radially projecting throwing arm, a seed receiving platform arranged at the axis of the throwing element and having a grooved upper face and rotatable withthe throwing element, a seed hopper having its lower end,

vertically kspaced `from buty closely adjacent the xplatform, and Lupwardly removable means forming a gauge eye of predetermined size at the lower endof the hopper ycoaXially withthethrowing element, saidygage eye being of substantiallyless diameter than the ANDREW SHIREMAN. 

